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Contact Your Virginia Senator and Delegate

Contact your elected representatives in Virginia’s General Assembly. Tell them you support the RISE for Youth Campaign, and our goals and principles. Be on the lookout for action alerts from the RISE for Youth campaign on how you can take more targeted actions.

Don’t know who your Senator and Delegate are? Follow this link to find out and see their contact information.

Write an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor

• Keep it short and sweet. 750 words or less.

• Don’t try to solve the problem in one op-ed: Highlight and make a single point really well.

• Stay active! Don’t use a passive voice, but rather an active voice when you are writing. For example, instead of saying “It is hoped that [or: One would hope that] the government will …” Instead, say “I hope the government will …” Active voice “is easier to read, and it leaves no doubt about who is doing the hoping, recommending or other action.”

• Use simple, everyday language. Technical terms and jargon can confuse your reader. Keep the language in your op-ed simple.

• Start with a story that keeps the reader interested. Once you’ve shown the problem through the story, you can connect it to the issue and your idea for a better solution.

• Use the facts and data to support your story. Good op-eds include facts and data that support the point you are trying to make.

Adapted from Duke University’s Office of News and Communications and the Op-Ed Project. Find more tips on writing op-eds here and here.

Talking Points

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